New chief of ordnance takes command

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, hands the Ordnance School guidon to Col. Edward M. Daly, incoming Ordnance School commandant and Ordnance Corps Chief of Ordnance, during an assumption of command ceremony at Whittington Parade Field June 12.

Maj. Gen. James L. Hodge, CASCOM and Fort Lee commanding general, hands the Ordnance School guidon to Col. Edward M. Daly, incoming Ordnance School commandant and Ordnance Corps Chief of Ordnance, during an assumption of command ceremony at Whittington Parade Field June 12.

Daly replaces Brig. Gen. Clark W. LeMasters Jr., who left Fort Lee March 21 to take command of the 13th Sustainment Command (Expeditionary) at Fort Hood, Texas. The unit was mid-deployment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom when he arrived. Col. Gregory A. Mason, the Ordnance School chief of staff, served as acting commandant between the two chiefs.

Hodge welcome the Daly Family to Fort Lee and said he knew the team would be a great addition to Team Lee.

"I am indeed honored to welcome a great Soldier and a great couple to the leadership team here at CASCOM and Fort Lee," he said. "This command team is more than capable and qualified, and we're confident they are up to the task."

As the 37th chief of ordnance, Daly will continue to move the Ordnance School forward to meet the demands of the 21st century, said Hodge.

"He's a great Soldier, a great trainer, a warfighter and a proven leader," he said. "Ed has already rolled up his sleeves, and he's embraced the mission and he's hit the ground running to ensure our Ordnance School trains Soldiers and leaders to sustain the warfighter. He understands fully the importance of support to the warfighter."

During the ceremony, Daly thanked his fellow Soldiers, Family and friends for attending his assumption of command.

"There is no place else that I'd rather be than right here, right now, on the Ordnance Campus -- the Army's premiere institutional training facility -- as a member of this great profession of arms, among the best leaders the Army has to offer, among the best Soldiers the Army has to offer, and amidst the partnership with the local community here in Virginia that is second to none," he said.

Daly said he realizes the importance of his command, and the effects his leadership will have on the corps of the future.

"How well we train today is the future of the Army, and the initiatives we undertake today will effect what the uniform looks like as we move forward further in the 21st century," he said. "I stand here before you humbled and excited about the responsibilities and challenges that lie ahead. (I) realize that there's no greater honor than leading and training Soldiers."